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Definition of bristletooth

bristletooth

/ˈbrɪs.əlˌtuːθ/
bris · tle · tooth
Plural:bristleteeth
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bristletooth Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A marine reef fish of the genus Ctenochaetus in the surgeonfish family, characterized by numerous fine, flexible teeth used for grazing on algae and organic detritus.

Example

"The Tomini bristletooth is highly valued by marine aquarists for its relentless grazing on nuisance algae."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for bristletooth

Word Nuance & Usage

Most commonly encountered as a modifier in the common name of fishes (e.g., 'bristletooth tang'), though it can be used as a standalone noun to refer to the fish itself.

• Nearby Words

bristlegrass
bristlehead
bristlemouth
bristletooth
bristliness
bristling
bristly

Word Origin & Etymology

A descriptive compound of 'bristle' and 'tooth', named for the fine, comb-like dentition that these marine fishes use to scrape algae and detritus from coral reefs.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bristletooth. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bristletooth
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